Professor Lindsay Sly Retires

After over forty years in microbiology at The University of Queensland, Professor Lindsay Sly retired in January 2010.

Current and past students and staff from the School of Chemistry & Molecular Biosciences farewelled Professor Sly at a luncheon on 29 January on the Chemistry Podium at UQ's St Lucia Campus.

Professor Sly was Chief Professional Officer and Curator of the Australian Collection of Microorganisms (ACM) in UQ's Department of Microbiology from 1971 until his appointment as Lecturer in Microbiology in 1992.

He became a Fellow of the Australian Society for Microbiology in 1989 and Fellow of the Australian Institute of Biology in 1992.

In 2001, Bergey Manual Trust and Springer Verlag awarded Professor Sly the Bergey Award in recognition for his outstanding contributions to systematic bacteriology.

Professor Sly's research activities have focussed on microbial biodiversity, which he describes as "the last frontier of unexplored biodiversity".

At the farewell luncheon, Head of School, Professor Alastair McEwan, praised Professor Sly's collegiality, exemplifed by the mentoring of junior staff, and his multidisciplinary approach to his research.

Former Head of the Department of Microbiology, Dr Chris Hayward, emphasised the great number of changes in the field of microbiology over Professor Sly's career to date.

Colleague, Professor John Fuerst, pointed out Professor Sly's early contribution to the international visibility of Microbiology at UQ, as well as his contribution to the field of biotechnology.

Ms Jenny Spratley, Assistant Curator of the ACM, congratulated Professor Sly on his work as Curator, describing him as "professional, knowledgable and passionate about the culture collection".

Professor Sly spoke about some of the huge changes that he has experienced during his long association with UQ.

He thanked all those present, including wife Lynne and sons Andrew and Cameron, for their support throughout his career.

Professor Sly has been nominated for appointment as Professor Emeritus.